


Demons

by missilemuse



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Brotherly Love, Family, Sherlock - Freeform, Sherlock Series 4 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-18 04:44:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9368516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missilemuse/pseuds/missilemuse
Summary: “I wanted her to crash the plane.”





	

It had been years since Mycroft had taken a break from being omnipotent and omniscient. He hadn’t known what a heavy burden Euros had been till he had shared her with Sherlock and his parents. All those years of constant worrying and watching over his siblings had come down to this.

Euros was securely back in Sherrinford. Sherlock was well on his way to the Baker Street version of normal with John Watson soldiering along gamely, Baby Rosamund in tow.

God! Mummy would be positively unbearable now.

He inhaled deeply, the cigarette smoke curling around his gloved fingers. He was supposed to be resting, but sleep was not a kindness these days. There were a hundred things demanding his attention back in London and he was hiding out here like the coward he was. “Off the map,” as he had put it to Alicia. After all, Euros was not the only ongoing threat to the British Government.

He had new decisions to make, new contingencies to put in place, his final touches on many plans that were in the works. The matter with Euros had been sorted. He had never been the type to ruminate over ‘what ifs’ and ‘might-have-beens’. It was time to move on.

He felt tired and strangely empty.

“What happened to low-tar?”

Mycroft took one last inhale before dropping the spent cigarette. He should’ve heard Sherlock walking up to him. He should have known they would ask Sherlock to find him. He should have known that his bolt-hole in the groundskeeper’s cottage at Musgrave would not remain hidden from Sherlock Holmes.

He should have known a lot of things.

“Did they manage to blackmail you into finding me, brother mine?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Sherlock sounded disgruntled. “John threatened to put compromising photos on the blog, if I did not.”

Mycroft snorted against his will, “Taking a leaf out of The Woman’s book! Are congratulations in order then? Am I finally to expect a happy announcement, one that I may add has been nine years in the making?”

Sherlock moved to stand beside him, studying the ruined skeleton of their ancestral home. “You and the rest of the world, it would seem. The man is grieving his dead wife. Give him some room.”

“That you so kindly did.”

“He’s just moved back into his home. People should learn to mind their own business.”

Mycroft sighed and wrapped his coat tighter around himself, “Why are you here, Sherlock? I was MIA only for two days. I was going to make it back to London the day after.”

“No.”

“For heaven’s sake, just because you think you saw me at my weakest, does not permit you to appoint yourself as my guardian angel or something. Nothing’s changed, I am still older, I am still smarter.”

“Mycroft-“

“And I just wanted as you so kindly provided to John Watson, some breathing room, some time off to re-arrange my ‘mind palace’ as you so quaintly put it. I don’t need you or anyone else dogging my footsteps-“

“Mycroft-

“I am perfectly fine. I am more than fine. The distasteful matter has come to an end and-“

“MIKEY, Listen to me, Euros was not your fault. You did your best.”

Mycroft chuckled hollowly, “Well then, that’s me absolved. You can run along now, back to your family.”

“Why do you think I’m here?”

Mycroft smirked wanting the emptiness back for he now felt like there were hot knives digging into his throat, “I wanted her to crash the plane.”

“What?”

“I wanted the little girl to crash the plane away from the city. I wanted to guide her to bring the plane down into the sea. And that’s exactly what I did, Sherlock, all those years ago. I thought her irredeemable. I locked her up and threw away the key. I sacrificed my sister for the greater good.”

“You were protecting me, not the commonwealth.”

“And how does that make it any better?”

Sherlock moved in front of him and the sight of the ruins was obscured by his brother’s incandescent eyes, the same eyes that had shed frustrated tears not days ago. “It is true that all lives end, and hearts are easily broken. But caring is not a weakness, Mycroft. I tried…we tried not to care, but it is not something we can choose, can we? Not even Euros could. She cared about me, in her own twisted, broken way, she did care. And that is what made all the difference.”

“I should have known, I should have done better.”

Sherlock took a deep breath, “As I told John, we are only human.” He turned to look at the ruins again. “It is time we lay our ghosts to rest. Besides, your bolt-hole here is compromised now.”

“Yes, thank you for that,” Mycroft retorted, thankful for the almost normal tone of his voice.

“And before I forget, here’s what I’m actually here for.” Sherlock extracted a cream envelope from his coat pocket and thrust it in his hands. “Before you start making assumptions, it is an invite to Rosie’s first birthday party at 221B tomorrow evening. John insisted on the invitation. As I am given to understand, family is expected to attend such events. Don’t be late.”

Sherlock turned to walk away and paused, “And Mycroft, if you could request Lady Smallwood to change her perfume before your next tête-à-tête. John is doing much better. He could do with fewer reminders of Mary.”

Mycroft opened the envelope. There was no invite. A single coloured photograph fell out. It was Sherlock in his purple shirt and trousers and dressing gown, fast asleep on the sofa with Rosie cradled protectively against his chest and drooling all over the expensive fabric. The peaceful expression on his sleeping face hearkened back to Mycroft’s childhood memories of his brother.

Compromising indeed!

Mycroft let out an involuntary laugh as he turned and walked away from his demons for what he hoped was the last time.

There was a birthday party to prepare for. In any case, there would be cake.

And Mycroft would not miss it for the world.


End file.
